Yahiko's Christmas gift
by Konotsu
Summary: Yahiko finally works up the courage to ask out Tsubame.


I waited outside the restaurant where Tsubame worked in the falling snowflakes. It was Christmas and I desperately wanted a certain Christmas gift. I wanted to talk to her for the last few weeks but I could never work up the courage to do so. But I promised myself I could do it now, I hoped so anyways. I prayed that I could this time and not make up some lame excuse and run away like I did the last few times with her looking after me with a weird expression on her face. The chill of winter was around me but in a pleasant way. Tsubame should be getting off work in a few minutes or so.

I didn't want to humiliate myself in front of her like I did countless times. There are times when I'm walking down the winter sidewalk and stop just to watch her work. She always moved smoothly around the counters, employee's, and customers with a busy expression on her face.

I really hope I could do this and not be a coward about it. I looked down at the white snow with my thoughts tumbling in my head. Hearing the sound of crunching snow under someone's feet, I looked up and saw beautiful Tsubame. She was dressed in a red Christmas scarf that was decorated with white snowflakes and a black fuzzy jacket along with a pair of her blue work pants. Her brown hair was up in a messy bun. Her cheeks were starting to turn rosy from the coldness of the air. Snowflakes were decorating her hair.

"Hi, Yahiko. What are you doing here?" She asked, finally realizing I was standing here. I pray that I don't back down this time. I put my hands inside my jacket pockets to hide my nervousness. I really didn't want her too see how nervous I was around her.

"Um, hi. I wanted to talk to you. Do you want me to walk you home?" I replied. She stood there thinking about her answer for a moment. "Sure." She answered with a small smile on her lips.

We started walking down the snowy sidewalk with the sound of crunching snow under our feet.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked with curiosity.

'_Run away, run away.'_ My brain was screaming at me to run and back down but I was going to do this whether my head liked it or not.

'_No, you are going to do this. Your not running away like a little coward.'_ My logical side was kicking in and I wanted to listen to it. As long as my feet would listen to my logical thinking side and not my instincts, than everything was going to be ok.

"Yahiko?" She said my name snapping me back to the present.

"Oh, um, I wanted to ask you a question." I said, stalling. She smiled, saying, "What is it?

"Well, I was thinking, that maybe…." She cut in, smiling with her eyes. "Yes…" she said, urging me on. I started again with my head down and my eyes peeking at her. "That maybe you would like to go out with me for dinner sometime." After I said that, my heart was pounding in my chest. I think it was about to jump out of my chest.

I really hope that I wasn't making a fool of myself by doing this. I was listening to Sanos and Kenshins advice. Looking at her in the face, she had a smile on her face. Though I don't know if it was from humor at humiliating myself or from happiness at asking her out. I really hope that it was the second choice.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?" I asked again. Maybe she didn't hear me the first time?…

"Yes. I would love to go out to dinner with you sometime." My head started spinning at her answer. What did she say? Did she say yes? Do I have selective hearing? I think my eyes went wide and my jaw dropped because she put her hand under my chin and pushed it up. She was giggling at my reaction which I found her little giggle really cute.

"Did you just say yes?" I asked with shock. She giggled again, making my heart flutter. "Yes, I did." She laughed. "Are you surprised?" She asked with her beautiful smile on display.

"A little." I replied sheepishly looking down again. "Why?" She asked with her brows furrowed.

"Well, I was afraid you would say no." I answered honestly.

"You didn't have to be afraid of that." She said. "I've wanted you to ask me out for a long time, Yahiko."

"Really?" I asked, snapping my head up. She did her little laugh again, saying, "Yes."

"Wow." I said, surprised. I realized that we were standing outside her house. We were silent for a while before she asked, "Would you like to come inside for a cup of tea?"

I smiled, already knowing my answer. "Yes." She then opened the gate, leading me into her house with a smile.

Boy, I was lucky and I couldn't ask for anything better. This was the best Christmas gift I could ever want, and I got it.


End file.
